the barons rebellion

• Financial burdens

  The barons struggled with the financial burdens John placed on them and the arrogant way in which he exercised his power
• Financial impositions by John

  • Taxes raised 11 times (in contrast with 3 times under Richard)
  • Largest ever scutage raised in 1214
  • Wardship fees increased by 300%
  • Fees for inheriting feudal land rose to four times what had previously been charged
• Punishment for non-payment of fines

  John seized the lands and possessions of barons who did not pay debts within a fixed period, and sometimes took their relatives hostage
• Use of arbitrary power

  John took almost total control of justice, manipulating the law to benefit himself, and was accused of selling justice
• Other financial burdens on barons

  • Marriage fines were more frequently charged on barons who married without permission
  • Widows were fined if they did not agree to marry who John wanted, or if they wanted to inherit their husband's land but not remarry
  • The 1207 thirteenth tax (on goods and income) also fell heavily on the barons
• Not all of John's problems were his own fault: financing Richard's crusade and ransom, and Richard and John's wars in France, had left many people short of money
• William de Braose

  One of John's leading barons, who held land in England, Wales and Ireland. John took his land in England and Wales when he failed to pay what he owed, and later captured and imprisoned his wife and eldest son, who many historians believe starved to death
• marriage

  married isabelle of angouleme

  she was betrothed to hugh de lusignan

  john should have given him compensation (he didnt )

  hugh appealed to phillip for justice giving phillip an excuse to attack john
• phillip vs john

  john acknowledged phillip as his overlord in 1200 so phillip had a right to attack his disobedient vassal on terms of forfeiture

  phillip summoned him to court as count of poitou but he didnt go so phillip attacked his french land

  phillip gave arthur 200 knights and money to attack anjou and poitou
• scandals

  eleanor of aquitaine was in trouble at castle mirebeau (under siege by arthur)

  john took siege and took arthur and hugh de lusignan prisoner

  1203 : rumoours that arthur was murdered by john so he lost lots of ally french barons

  phillip won lots of supporters and he had conquered maine, anjou and castle vaudreuil
• capture of chateau gaillard

  phillip surrounded chateau gaillard

  phillip used siege weapons to collapse the walls

  phillip mined under the walls and the castle was taken from john

  normandy is now under phillips control
• losing control of normandy caused:

  collapse of angevin empire

  financial problems (normandy was a big portion of englands income)

  damaged reputation (john lost respect for his people)

  threat of invasion (england was now viewed as weaker)

  discontented barons
• cause of the interdict

  couldnt decide who they wanted to be the new archbishop of canterbury

  john wanted john de gray

  pope innocent III wanted stephen langton

  pope appoints stephen langton and john refused to let him into england

  pope calls an interdict which stops the church from functioning properly
• interdict

  sermons couldnt take place in church yard

  burials were forbidden

  marriage couldnt happen in churches

  baptisms occured behind locked doors

  sacrements werent provided for the dying
• excommunication

  1209 pope excommunicated john because he seized church property (mainly from clergy) and it made him rich due to the land taxes

  barons didnt have to obey him

  1213 prince louis was threatening to invade and john didnt want the pope as an enemy
• reconciliation agreement

  stephen langton would be new archbishop of canterbury

  churchmen who fled could come back to england and get their land back

  paid £27,000 to pope in compensation

  recognised pope as feudal overlord
• john taxed barons heavily which caused them to be annoyed and frustrated
• use of arbitrary power

  1209-14 john closed law court in westminster

  only judges approved by him could deal with law cases

  accused of selling justice and taking bribes
• plot of 1212

  1209-12 john led campaign in wales to take control of william de braose and crush rebellion

  1211 Llwelyn took land in waled (annoyed john)

  john was aboutt o attack wales but he found out robert fitz william and eustace de vesci are plotting to kill him - both leading/richest barons in england (john dealt with them and they both fled into exile)
• battle of bouvines 1214 


  john captured castles around poitou

  louis arrived to stop john and johns allies in poitou

  johns allies refused to fight so they fled leaving supplies and weapons (louis took them)

  john was driven back to la rochelle (400 miles from bouvines)

  count of flanders surrendered, ottos (holy roman emporer) forces surrounded, earl of salisbury taken prisoner

  phillip won battle
• affect of battle of bouvines

  otto lost HRE crown to fredricck (ally to phillip)

  count of flanders signs peace treaty - gave french lots of flanders back

  barons were angry as they funded the battle and they lost land and revenue

  johns reputation worsened
• barons rebellion

  late 1214 rebel barons met as bury st edmunds

  jan 1215 john agreed to meet barons in london but refused to meet their demands

  mar 1215 john strengthens relationship with pope

  apr 1215 barons want major reform

  5th may 1215 barons marched on northampton, failed to take castle

  12th may 1215 john ordered enemy lands to be seized

  17th may 1215 barons tried to take control of london

  summer 1215 barons had norfolk, suffolk, lincoln, northampton, chester, carlsisle
• magna carta

  15th june 1215 magan carta was signed at runnymede in surrey

  pope made papal bull to declare it illegal as john was forced to sign it - charter renounced after 3 months
• siege at rochester castle

  prince louis (son of phillip) and alexander II (scottish king) supported rebel barons

  rochester castle was an important position as its on the road in between dover and london

  rebels had control of rochester castle

  oct 1215 john laid siege on castle , D'Albini had short supplies so ran out quick , john bombarded walla and tunneled under them

  30th nov 1215 after 7 weeks of bombardment castle surrendors and its johns again
• northern campaign (early 1216)


  john was successful as he gained significant control of northern england

  john went as far as berwick before returning for the spring

  rebels retreated to scotland (attacked again when john went back down south)

  john lost support as his army acted in ruthless and brutal ways (plundering churches)
• barons war

  dec 1215 french forces land and make wat to london, brought pro soliders, money, supplies and siege equipment

  may 1216 louis landed in kent with troops ( he took control of kent)

  summer 1216 many leading barons/ supporters deserted john

  july 1216 barons take essex, norfolk, suffolk, yorkshire, lincolshire

  louis laid siege on dover as he has 2/3 of barons in england in his support

  louis dominated the south coast of dover and john tried to draw the enemy away from dover but headed towards east anglia instead burning the barons crops and house as they went
• death of john

  sept 1216 john breaks up rebel siege of castle at lincoln

  12th oct 1216 baggage train sucked into sands as john attempted to take a short cut across the Wash before the tide had fully gone out (lost crown jewels)

  15th oct john is sick with dysentry

  18th oct john dies as newark during a great storm
• succession

  louis held almost half of england

  john placed kindom and son (henry heir) under the protector william marshall

  11th nov 1216 loyal barons formally name him regent

  william reissues the magna carta in bristol

  1217 marshals leadership royals fought ack against louis
• battle of lincoln 


  louis divides army in 2, half in dover with him and half to lincoln

  20th may 1217 william brought big army, french had city and was attacking the castle

  william decided to attack the rebels on two fronts

  after 6 hours french retreated, rebel barons + 380 knights captured, more than 150 barons and knights switched back to be on william marshals side
• battle of sandwich

  william gathered army at port of sandwich

  24th august 1217 french fleet arrive up the river thames

  englsih fleets was more experiences with the river thames

  iron tipped galleys sunk many french ships

  leader eustace the monk was taken prisoner and decapitated

  loss was fatal to louis

  louis gave up his claim to the english throne

  his english followers were able to regain their lost land
• the four f's 


  finance - crusade & ransom had huge costs , loss of normandy= loss of revenue = people where poorer

  france - formed alles with otto , had good tactics

  favourites - relied on friends & rewarded them heavily (not barons) , barons felt excluded , created a lot of jealousy , hated johns allies because of their ruthlessness

  fairness - arbitrary power , used justice system to his advantage